Rate this $2k gaming build: Final

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yodachoda

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Feb 26, 2015
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I know I already made like 2 of these similar threads, but this one has different components and this build is after many, many hours of researching components, unlike my previous ones.

Intel 4970k I7 (4.0 GHz quad core)
MSI gtx980 graphics card
Asus Maximus VII hero motherboard
corsair vengeance pro 16 GB 2400 Mhz RAM
Evga SuperNova750W G2 Power supply
Cooler Master Seidon 240M liquid cooling
samsung 1tb 850 Evo ssd
1 TB western digital blue 7200 rpm
windows 8.1
asus optical drive ($20)
Fractal Design R5 black with window

Total $2076 (excluding shipping)

Please rate and/or provide any suggestions for improving this build (with rationale).
 
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babernet_1

babernet_1

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PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ Micro Center)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U14S 55.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($69.75 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus Z97-A ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($130.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: GeIL Black Dragon 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($148.22 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 1TB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($389.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital BLACK SERIES 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card ($539.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Fractal Design Define R5 w/Window (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($104.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($104.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($19.49 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($87.79 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1866.17
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-04-25 19:02 EDT-0400

4690K is just as fast unless you want over 90 FPS.

ASUS-A motherboard is cheaper yet has triple spacing if you go SLI and still overclocks well.

Noctua cooler is fine, costs less and is more reliable than water coolers.

Memory is cool, low heat sink profile to fit under the water cooler. 16GB is a luxury.

EVGA cards have the highest ratings in newegg.

 
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gerr

gerr

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Is this system purely for gaming or will it be used for other things?
Is $2K your budget, or can you up it a little, or do you want to save some money?
I presume you already have a montior, keyboard, mouse, and speakers?

CPU = do you need an i7? For gaming, next to no difference between the i7-K & i5-K CPU's OC'ed to the same speed.

Memory = While 2400-C11 is nice, 1866-C9 or 1600-C8 will give you the same preformance for less money.

SSD = Do you really need a 1TB SSD system drive? Consider an M.2 drive instead as it's faster. Or put 2 smaller SSD's into Raid-0. Just make sure you have a good system backup as doing that increases your failure risk a bit.

Optical = Blue-Ray drives are not that much more expensive than a DVD drive if you have the money to spare.
 
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yodachoda

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Feb 26, 2015
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Around $2k is my budget. Mostly (80%+) gaming. I already have a monitor and mouse, just need a keyboard.
 
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g-unit1111

g-unit1111

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That looks pretty decent. You don't need a 1TB SSD, and for high end games, especially if you plan on playing games like GTA V and Wolfenstien, you would be wise to get an i7.

This is what I would suggest:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($326.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Phanteks PH-TC14PE_BK 78.1 CFM CPU Cooler ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI Z97-G45 Gaming ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($129.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance Pro 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2400 Memory ($134.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Corsair Neutron XT 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($151.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($52.59 @ Directron)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 980 4GB STRIX Video Card ($543.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($117.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Directron)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($88.88 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1734.37
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-04-25 21:42 EDT-0400
 
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yodachoda

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Why air cooling when liquid cooling is only slightly more?

From my research, the best of the best air coolers (Noctua) are around as good as the lowest end closed loop liquid coolers.

The Cool Master Seidon 240 cools better than the Noctua but is a little louder. Its about the same price.

Also, isn't 850W overkill? My research says there's such a thing as too large of a power supply. If it's too many watts, it will waste more energy at idle.

 
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babernet_1

babernet_1

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Noctua cools better than all but the best of the water coolers. Noctua beats them all except for the Cooler Master Nepton 280L in noise per performance.
 
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g-unit1111

g-unit1111

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BD-R drives are completely unnecessary anymore. Games don't and never will use the format, and like it or not, streaming is here to stay.



1. The problem that I have with liquid loops is that a lot more things can and probably will go wrong with them compared to a strong air fan like the Noctua or Phanteks. I had an NZXT Kraken X61 that had a defective pump and it brought down my whole system. Since then I try not to recommend closed liquid loops.

2. That's not true, the D14 produces almost no noise, and you can switch out the fans with whatever fans you want in case they are too noisy. Plus as was mentioned, the Noctua very handily beats just about any closed liquid loop on the market.

3. I always plan builds for future expansion. 850W is overkill for a single card, that's true, but if you start playing higher end games and want to get a higher resolution monitor, you will want to SLI that card, in which case the 850W power supply is warranted.
 
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gerr

gerr

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g-unit1111 said:

"BD-R drives are completely unnecessary anymore. Games don't and never will use the format, and like it or not, streaming is here to stay."



Well, how do you plan on getting your BR & DVD collection onto your PC if you don't have an optical drive that is able to read them?
 
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g-unit1111

g-unit1111

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Pretty much any BD-Rs you can buy commercially include some form of a digital copy - either iTunes, Flixster, or Ultraviolet - there's no need to rip them or bypass copyright protections anymore.
 
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MasterDell

MasterDell

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This. Games will never use BR. Never.
 
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